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The end result seems to have been the intentional desecration of the corpses of a previous ruling dynasty in a massive, public bonfire, and the (probably intentional) use of the undifferentiated remains — jewellery, precious beads and more — as construction material.

With the other terminal classic period fires maybe we can suggest that there was a change in political power across the Maya world and part of that was burning the old dynasties literally and figuratively as described here.

Fire burning, as opposed to other kinds of burning?

counterpoint: boiling

edit: also radiation, wind, ...

on page 4, that drawing is not a likeness of the stone carving on the right.

That's because it's an illustration of a different altar, #12. The picture is of Altar #13. Both depict the same ruler, which is why they're in the same figure.

Looking at the map, I vaguely recall it is about the same location where the meteor struck that caused extinction of dinosaurs.

Significantly north and a bit west of there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater